For the Media

Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Our Mission

Provide effective and efficient leadership, education, advocacy and programs to eliminate barriers and to meet the social, economic, cultural and intellectual needs of deaf and hard of hearing Kentuckians.

Our Vision

“Living in a diverse world of respect, deaf and hard of hearing individuals are empowered as equal partners.”

Hearing loss by the numbers

Approximately 35 newborns are diagnosed with hearing loss in Kentucky annually

One out of 10 individuals experience hearing loss

One out of 3 senior citizens have hearing loss

Nearly 700,000 Kentuckians have a hearing loss, according to data extrapolated from the 2010 Census as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and from a 2005 Survey by the National Institutes of Health

One in five teenagers (20 percent) will incur a hearing loss at a much earlier age due to listening to portable music devices, according to a 2010 report from the National Institutes of Health

KCDHH serves these individuals as well as their families and those they interact with. The agency also serves the general public, businesses, educational institutions and any other entity that may have questions or concerns related to hearing loss.